Independent Pet Retail is Alive, Well and Essential

Pet owners’ path-to-purchase (Awareness – Consideration – Evaluation – Purchase – Post purchase loyalty) has always been heavily influenced by neighborhood pet stores. 

In From Kibble to Community, The Evolution of the Pet Specialty Industry by Sam Slovin published in Pet Age (April 2024), Sam recalls the importance of “passionate independent retailers” and “innovative manufacturers” who were instrumental in taking pet food from the most basic nutrition to premium products for pets who have become part of the family.

 “The shift wasn’t overnight,” he noted. “A lot of these ideas had been around for years, but it wasn’t until consumers were ready, and retailers believed in them, that they really started to take hold. At a certain point, it stopped being about just getting product on the shelf. It became about helping stores understand what mattered and what didn’t.”

“Independent retailers became the voice of the movement.  They educated customers, explained ingredient panels, and guided them through the shift with the trust and clarity needed to make informed decisions.”

Today, there are as many ways to buy pet foods as there are types of foods available. Not only must pet shoppers decide what to feed their pets, they must decide where to shop for those products.

IndiePet grew out of collaboration between a number of forward-thinking retailers – those who helped manufacturers grow new and innovative brands by educating their customers about the benefits to their pets – and who were facing new challenges. Online sellers began entering the pet food market and they were promising lower prices and fast delivery at a time few indies were delivering to their customers and price competition was between local stores, not internet behemoths.

Fast forward to today when nearly every manufacturer sells in multiple channels as well as directly to consumers. Pricing is still a challenge and margins are thin. What role do independents play now? They are still where pet shoppers go to get recommendations, to learn about new products, and to create relationships with trusted experts.

Robert L. Critselous of Drooly’s Dog Bakery said it in his Pets Plus commentary (June 15, 2026), “The independent channel remains one of the most authentic connections between pet brands and pet parents. Preserving that connection requires investment in systems that support them.”

IndiePet and our members are investing in the future of the independent retailer. IndiePet provides many avenues of connection between retailers and brands. This year, we are excited to introduce the all new IndiePet Innovation Award to highlight those brands who remain committed to independents by bringing to market the products and services that indies need to remain competitive. Awards will be presented at IndiePet’s SUPERZOO reception on Tuesday, August 11, 4-6pm at the South Pacific F, Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. The reception is open to all industry professionals. Please RSVP if you plan on attending.